English
brace
Brace comes from Old French brace ‘arm’, from Ancient Greek βρᾰχῠ́ς ‘short, brief’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mreǵʰ-‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mréǵʰus‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*brəkʰúsreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβρᾰχῠ́ςbrăkhŭ́s‘short, brief’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEβρᾰχῑ́ωνbrăkhī́ōn‘upper arm’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbracchium‘arm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbracchia
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400brace‘arm’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘Vambrace’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mreǵʰ-‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mréǵʰus‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*brəkʰúsreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβρᾰχῠ́ςbrăkhŭ́s‘short, brief’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEβρᾰχῑ́ωνbrăkhī́ōn‘upper arm’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbracchium‘arm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbracchia
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400brace‘arm’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘Vambrace’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice: “’Tis a Pageant / To keepe vs in falſe…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- ‘short’
through Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus ‘short’
brief, merry, brevity, abbreviate, 32 more
through Ancient Greek βρᾰχῠ́ς ‘short, brief’
through Latin bracchium ‘arm’
brass, pretzel, brachial, 8 more
through Old French brace ‘arm’
Today it means
noun A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- / brace